MBTI Type: ISTP

Sayid says that he has “a talent with machines,” and it’s true, he can jury-rig almost anything to work on the island, from figuring out how to recalibrate broken pieces of equipment to creating a primitive compass or mending the French woman’s broken music box. He is also skilled in analysis and in making detached decisions—calculated to get the desired results. Sayid can put aside his personal feelings to torture someone for “the greater good of the group” (Sawyer) but then feels remorse and shame about it afterward. He has a gentleness to his inferior Fe, and is able to connect to and console others, building a relationship with Shannon in which he reaffirms her and reminds her of her self-worth. He’s willing to share his feelings with others, to get them to open up and cooperate with him, and has a desire to serve the greater whole and the group. He is opportunistic and prefers to work alone, striking out to map the island and figure out where they are, then using what he sees around him in the French woman’s hut to convince her to negotiate with him. Sayid is able to hunt, but he prefers to use his mechanical skills to work on bigger solutions. Once he decides to do something, he thinks quickly and uses whatever opportunities arise in the situation to his advantage (including shooting a guard and himself, to allow the woman he loves to escape). Sayid pays attention to what is happening around him and can be somewhat reckless at times. He very quickly catches onto and masters technology; he is able to tinker with it and make it do what he wants it to do. Sayid trusts his intuition and the “sense” he has of people (“I don’t trust him around you, Kate”). He tends to zero in on one thing at a time and not abandon it until its potential is exhausted. Sayid trusts his ability to read people and know whether or not they are telling the truth.

Enneagram: 9w8

Sayid has a gentleness to him that easily allows him to connect to other people and have empathy for him; he allowed a prisoner he loved to escape and shot himself to conceal the truth about his betrayal. He is often patient with people, including Shannon when she insists she cannot read French and is “worthless at everything.” He tortures Sawyer and dislikes him, but still manages to work alongside him on important things and even fixes him reading glasses so he can continue to read on the island without eye strain headaches. He feels remorse in hurting other people, and is quietly withdrawn. But whenever he’s threatened, his 8 wing comes out – he becomes assertive, defensive, and takes control. He tells Jack to leave him alone with Sawyer for ten minutes, he will get the truth out of him. He’s willing to torture people if necessary, and sometimes fight them with his fists.

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